MY JOURNEY WITH CHURCH

I received this email from my father-in-law today, and I'm very thankful for a little different persperctive. I have been hoping for different experiences and viewpoints to be expressed.
I appreciate all of you who have responded through the blog, email, and phone. Let's continue the dialog. Talon

From: Larry Lehman
Yesterday evening I read the postings on this blog site with real interest. Church has been a very important part of my life, all my life. I was taken to church when an infant, became a believer at age 11, was baptized and and eventually served in a number of leadership roles. I am now retired from those roles but still teach Sunday School. I got awake last night and spent an hour or so mulling over the experiences that were shared on the blog and the comments and interpretations.
I understand the experiences to the degree that is possible without walking in another’s shoes. I have taken a few hits over the years. I am also aware of the failing and inadequacies of the institutional church. I recognize that there is a lot of veneer. As Keith said, “That’s not a new idea to me.” I also recognize that church happens when two or more followers of Jesus share their journeys, share in worship, study the Word, etc. (Matthew 18:20)
So why have I hung in there with the organized church? I am not sure I know all the answers to that question. In general I would say that it has been a good experience for my wife and I. I recognize that not all churches are the same. I come from a Mennonite tradition where leaders are expected to be “servant-leaders.” I didn’t aspire to be a leader and was serving only in obedience to a sense of call. We believe that a body of God’s people finds God’s will by sitting down together to study the Word and discern His will. We sometimes say we represent a third way – neither Catholic nor Protestant. We became a brotherhood when a few people defied the state church in Europe, met together to study the Word and even baptized each other. Many of them paid for their boldness with their lives. I mention this to say that I have a sense of being outside of mainline protestantism and my experience may be different than yours. I do hasten to say we are far from perfect and often fail to live up to our ideals.
A number who submitted posts to the blog site emphasized the importance of trusting God and loving our fellowmen. I agree that these have been the most important aspects of my walk of faith. Trusting God has brought me peace and joy, even in times of difficulty. (I do not claim to have always trusted nor to have had perfect peace.) I have tried to put serving God first and have passed up opportunities to seek material gain. I have claimed Matthew 6:33 “Seek first his kingdom…and all these things will be given to you as well.” I have found this to be true. I have also found loving and relating to others to be the most meaningful thing in my life. Last week we spent three days with an elderly couple who are lonely. We disagree about politics and theology. I feel they are partly responsible for the way they are alienated from their family. We still love each other and spent much meaningful time together and prayed together. We had church.
I could give numerous examples of having church in many different settings, but I still find a need for the organized church. Organized may be nothing more than a set time when two or three get together to share, study and pray, or it may mean membership in a large congregation. I need the structure that comes by regular meetings for study, prayer and sharing. I need to know someone is concerned about how I am doing in my spiritual life. I need a defined time and place where this happens. It could be a home, an office or a restaurant, as well as a church building.
I remember a brother who shared how he spent a summer in a fire tower in the Rocky Mountains. He thought he would grow very close to God through this time of being alone. He said it was the time when God seemed the most distant to him of any time in his life. As several people noted, there is a connection between our relationship with God and our relationship with people.
So I guess I have hung in there with the organized church because it provides me with meaningful relationships with followers of Jesus and encouragement in my Christian life. I pray that each of you will also find those meaningful relationships that are necessary for followers of Jesus. I especially pray for “Anonymous” who may be ready to give up.